Respect life in all forms

My respect for people with a pro-life stance leaves when I hear that they also choose the death penalty. The same mindset is often against the use of tax money to raise those live births. Recently The Star reported that a majority of babies born to women younger than 30 were out of wedlock (9/7, Local, “A slow but seismic shift; Most mothers under 30 are unmarried, and the costs to society are huge”).

Either you revere life in all its forms, or you do not. A pick-and-choose modality is immoral, in my view.

D. A. Duke
Overland Park

Comments

[GCYL]

“I guess we need people like you to pull the switch, under the name of God.” - T. Hanson

As always, I enjoy your spin on reality. The switch is pulled under the name of our Government which condemned the convict to death; acceptable unto God as a consequence he gave for a small list of personal actions taken.

[GCYL]

“Congrats. I pitty you.” - T. Hanson

What I find pitiful is an inability to understand the difference between two different sets of instructions given by God. First are the instructions on WHAT personal actions to avoid. Second are the instructions on the CONSEQUENCES of your personal actions.

Such inability to understand the difference between action and consequences of your action is real handy when you want to avoid the issue of what action did the unborn child do to warrant death. For that mental gymnastics, I pity you Mr.T.

[JUNGLEJACK]

T. - when did I say I wanted to kill someone "in the name of God"? I merely pointed out your mistake with an often misquoted verse. It is obvious that God wasn't against his people killing when it was necessary. Murder is completely different from war or a death penalty.

That being said - I'd be happy to do away with all capital punishment if it meant the outlawing of abortion. Does that make me pro-life in your eyes?

[T. Hanson]

GC, and JJ.
I am glad that you find it justifiable to kill another human. I guess we need people like you to pull the switch, under the name of God.

Congrats. I pitty you.

[JUNGLEJACK]

'"Thou shall not kill"
-God'

Actually, the most accepted versions of the verse read "You shall not murder" or "Do not murder" or even "Do not commit murder". Not quite the same meaning as "kill".

[Pub 17]

This afternoon is getting weird. Thihs is the second poster responding on the wrong blog. Is it 4:20 yet?

[GCYL]

“No, It takes balls to say that God told you to kill.” - T. Hanson

Under certain circumstances God said capital punishment should be used. It takes balls to tell God no.

[GCYL]

“Seriously, GCYL,…” - Pub 17

Seriously, Pub 17, even 17 year old girls know that the 2nd universally accepted internet rule for losing a discussion is grammar/spelling check. You should have gone for the all the marbles and fail on the 2nd and 1st universally accepted internet rules for losing a discussion by grammer checking a "Nazi".

[GCYL]

Old Testament Examples

Throughout the Old Testament we find many cases in which God commands the use of capital punishment. We see this first with the acts of God Himself. God was involved, either directly or indirectly, in the taking of life as a punishment for the nation of Israel or for those who threatened or harmed Israel.

One example is the flood of Noah in Genesis 6-8. God destroyed all human and animal life except that which was on the ark. Another example is Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18-19), where God destroyed the two cities because of the heinous sin of the inhabitants. In the time of Moses, God took the lives of the Egyptians' first-born sons (Exod. 11) and destroyed the Egyptian army in the Red Sea (Exod. 14). There were also punishments such as the punishment at Kadesh-Barnea (Num. 13-14) or the rebellion of Korah (Num. 16) against the Jews wandering in the wilderness.

The Old Testament is replete with references and examples of God taking life. In a sense, God used capital punishment to deal with Israel's sins and the sins of the nations surrounding Israel.

The Old Testament also teaches that God instituted capital punishment in the Jewish law code. In fact, the principle of capital punishment even precedes the Old Testament law code. According to Genesis 9:6, capital punishment is based upon a belief in the sanctity of life. It says, "Whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God, He made man."
The Mosaic Law set forth numerous offenses that were punishable by death. The first was murder. In Exodus 21, God commanded capital punishment for murderers. Premeditated murder (or what the Old Testament described as "lying in wait") was punishable by death. A second offense punishable by death was involvement in the occult (Exod. 22; Lev. 20; Deut 18-19). This included sorcery, divination, acting as a medium, and sacrificing to false gods. Third, capital punishment was to be used against perpetrators of sexual sins such as rape, incest, or homosexual practice.

//end brief research on Old Testament laws resulting in capital punishment.

“I am sure that goes for both Capital Punishment and Abortion.” - T. Hanson

In your opinion. Of course.

[Letters Editor]

I have received several complaints regarding personal attacks in posts by Pub17. Please keep your comments to the topic of the letter or I will have to have you blocked from this site. Let this serve as a reminder to all that this site is for civil discourse, not creative insults. They are tiresome and tend to negate the value of your opinion in the eyes of readers.

Thank you,
Trudy Hurley
Administrative Assistant
Editorial Page
The Kansas City Star
1729 Grand Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-234-4885
thurley@kcstar.com

[T. Hanson]

No, It takes balls to say that God told you to kill. I also like to stay away from those folks too.

[Pub 17]

"The moral equalizing of an innocent pre born with a convicted murder [sic] established you on a new and higher state of the universe how?" Uh, by accepting that I don't have the right to invade a woman's body and impose my will because of my moral compunctions, and by not killing another actual human being except in self-defense? By accepting that I can't determine when the embryo becomes a human being, but I can be damn sure that the shlub with the hood over his head is a human being, and I don't kill human beings?

Seriously, GCYL, the timing of your first posts everyday makes it too apparent you're just getting out of class.

[solomon]

wow T.....it takes balls to quote God, when the Bible shows many instances of God instructing his people to kill.

.....just thought I'd throw that in.

[T. Hanson]

"Thou shall not kill"
-God

I am sure that goes for both Capital Punishment and Abortion.

[GCYL]

“killing someone who may have killed someone else establishes a new and higher state of the universe how?” - Pub 17

The moral equalizing of an innocent pre born with a convicted murder established you on a new and higher state of the universe how?

[Pub 17]

Coming from you, it's of course a minor point.

a) "death penalty convicts" MAY have killed someone.

b) your calling fetuses "unborn babies" gives you and the state the right to go inside a woman's body and claim jurisdiction only in your tiny, milk-like mind.

c) killing someone who may have killed someone else establishes a new and higher state of the universe how? By restoring the dead to life? By validating the idea that the friends and relatives of a murder victim can never sleep well again unless the state commits murder on their behalf? Nice thing to teach your kids: revenge is sweet. By broadcasting the idea that you can murder without penalty? Note the rash of senseless killings at Nickel Mines after the Amish forgave the senseless slaughter of their children.

[Gary]

A minor point perhaps, but unborn babies have not killed anyone; death penalty convicts have. It will help the pro-abortion but anti-death penalty crowd if they think of execution for capital murder as just a post-natal abortion.

[T. Hanson]

Just like puppies, once the baby looses it cuteness it should be left to defend on it's own.